Stars Are out to Get Revenge

Stars Are out to Get Revenge

Article excerpt

Byline: CAROL WHITE

BILLINGHAM Stars are in National Cup Group A action this weekend, a return to Blackburn Hawks this afternoon followed by the visit of Solway Sharks to the Forum tomorrow evening.

A revamped cup competition will see the Ultimate Windowssponsored Stars compete with Blackburn and Solway in a roundrobin format, the top two teams progressing to the quarter final stage early next year.

Billingham travel to Lancashire this afternoon looking for immediate revenge after the Hawks snatched a late win on the same ice last Sunday in the League.

Although still not quite the finished article, Blackburn dug deep to come from behind in the final period, danger man Rick Bentham striking with little over two minutes to go to grab both points. Player/coach Steven Duncombe is still in the market for players as he looks to put the finishing touches to his squad and he will be buoyed by the manner in which his side were able to claw their way back into the game.

The Hawks have already suffered one loss in the cup competition, having come away from Dumfries last Saturday on the wrong end of an 8-5 scoreline.

Solway visit the Forum tomorrow evening on the back of a maximum point haul in cup and League last weekend.

On paper the Sharks squad does not appear as strong as last season's all-conquering treble winners with no less than eight players departing, including popular Slovakian defenceman Juraj Senko. Head coach Martin Grubb has brought in Czech blue liner Marek Charvat but has yet to sign a second import. Also new to the Solway line-up are brothers Lewis and Luke Houston, two-way signing Josh Grieveson, former Elite League and Great Britain star Kyle Horne and former Billingham player Scott Cooper.

Iain Bowie has returned after a season on the sidelines and with some style as he hit seven goals in two games last weekend.

The Stars will need to put right the wrongs of the third period last Sunday if they are to get anything from this weekend.

They have a much better idea of what to expect from Blackburn, however they will be well aware of how the Hawks were able to exploit defensive errors to come back at the death and grab the win. …